The Gardiner Museum is open seven days a week. Explore our permanent collection, discover special exhibitions, get hands-on with clay in our studios, dine, shop, and more.
Enter an immersive world created by Montreal-based artist Karine Giboulo, brought to life by over 500 miniature polymer clay figures that tell stories about our most urgent social issues, from the pandemic to the climate crisis. It will delight visitors of all ages!
Registration for our popular March Break camps opens to Gardiner Friends on January 23 and to the general public on January 25. From March 13 - 17, kids and teens can explore the Museum and get creative with clay in our pottery studios!
Experience the Gardiner's world-renowned collection, in person and online. From Chinese porcelain to contemporary Canadian ceramics, discover the people and histories behind the objects.
Everyone can love clay! Become a Gardiner Friend and enjoy the benefits, including unlimited admission, advanced clay class registration, invitations to exhibition previews and special events, discounts on lectures and classes, and more.
Focus Gallery
Creamware refers to a large family of earthenwares covered with cream-coloured glazes that were produced in England and continental Europe during the late 18th and 19th centuries. Creamware was a revolutionary product in its time because it possessed many of the same practical and aesthetic qualities as porcelain, but could be produced for a fraction of the cost. For this reason, it quickly emerged as the ceramic tableware of choice for middle class consumers.
Competition from creamware producers put great pressure on many English and European porcelain factories, helping to force some out of business and others to modify their products. For such a seemingly simple ceramic, creamware had a profound social and economic impact that resonated even in modern times.
This exhibition showcases a collection of creamwares that were donated to the Gardiner Museum in 2008 by long-time members Jean and Ken Laundy. It is the first time that many of the objects have been publicly displayed.